The Journal of Jona Necros
by dmitchrob1999
Summary: These are the journal entries of Jona Necros, Magic Knight of the Black Bulls, and sole living inhabitant of Farandal. Follow as he records his journeys in his journal. Watch as he sees the world for the first time.
1. Beginning the Journey to the Capital

Entry number one:

My name is Jona Necros, I have just turned 15. My master told me that I should start keeping a journal. He said that doing this will help me feel less alone in this dead city. I live in the abandoned city of Farandal of the Clover Kingdom, previously of the Diamond Kingdom. I guess I should use this first entry to formally introduce myself before giving a history lesson. As I said before, my name is Jona Necros and I am 15. I am a guy. I am approximately 172 cm tall and weigh approximately 84 kg. I have a slight tan from Master's daily training and dark brown hair that reaches just below my hairline in the back. I also have some magic gems embedded in my torso. Apparently, this was a common custom among the nobles of Farandal and the more gems you had embedded would mean that you are more powerful than those with less. I haven't tried to count mine. Master said that I got them embedded when I was 13, but I don't remember it. My gems are in the shape of a 5 leaf clover with a star in the middle. The clover is made up of the darker gems, while it seems the star is made up of the lighter ones. I only know what 1 of them does. It's placed almost right above my heart and can convert my health or "life-force" (as Master put it) in to mana. Master told me to be careful with it, he said it could kill me if I got too careless. Oh yeah, I have just gotten my grimoire. It looks kinda… creepy. I haven't really looked through it yet, I'm kind of scared to. I guess I should explain why it looks creepy. It seems to bound in an extremely old skin. It's black with streaks of green running up and down in some spots. None of them go all the way up or down, though. The creepiest part is in the center, though. It bulges out a little and pulses almost like it has a heart. On the bulge is a 5 leaf clover. I know what that 5th leaf has too. Does this mean that my grimoire is evil? Does this mean I'm evil? Master says that those are for me to answer. I'm worried that this is an omen for my future. Why did I get this grimoire? Well journal, I should get to sleep. Tomorrow I start on my journey to the Capital of the Clover Kingdom. I'm going to be a magic knight. I'm kind of excited. Goodnight Journal.

Entry number 2:

Hello again Journal, I'm ready to tell you the things that have happened recently. This morning, I started my journey the the Capital. Master says it will take a while since Farandal was pretty much on the border between the Clover and Diamond Kingdoms. It was a pretty emotional moment when I left. I just couldn't help but cry when I said goodbye to the others. Even if they weren't really alive and were only remnants of their old personalities, they were the only people in my life for 15 years. My master says that I have to get to the Capital by way of my own 2 feet to prove myself worthy to be a magic knight. My dream is to be a magic knight captain. I want to be one of the few who work to protect the citizens of the Clover Kingdom, constantly fighting the shadows of evil. Master says not to get my hopes up. He also asked why I don't want to be the Wizard King. I was too embarrassed to say it, but I don't think I would be able to live with the stress and responsibility that being the Wizard King entails. I'd also be too scared to make any kind of major decision. It would affect the entire kingdom and I couldn't live with myself if I made a bad one. I have only the highest respect for the Wizard Kings, both previous and present. To have that pressure on you, yet still be able to go on day to day, that takes true strength. No other interesting things happened today, so that's all I have to say. Thanks for listening Journal. I may not be able to talk to you like this daily, so sorry in advance. Goodnight Journal.

Entry no. 3:

Hello Journal, nothing really happened today and I couldn't travel today because of the weather, so I used my earth magic to make a cave to stay in. Since nothing really happened, I'll use this entry to talk about some of the spells in my grimoire. After looking through it, I figured out what kinds of spells it has. It seems to possess mainly offensive and defensive spells, with the occasional support and recovery spell. I know that what I'm about to say sound almost impossible, but my grimoire has 2 attributes. Even though I thought my main magical attribute was earth, it seems that my other magical attribute is, bear with me in this, "death/soul magic." Yeah, I know. Sounds evil, right? Even though it is death/soul magic, it looks like not all the spells are for killing people. The primary death/soul spell is called "Summon Thrall" which can call the "thralls" that inhabit Farandal. I tried it out and called Master. He wasn't very happy when I called him to me. He told me he was working on recording the events of the present for future generations, but when I called him to me, the documents came with him and were ruined by the rain. He lectured me before making me send him back home. Another one of my death spells is called "Magic Scythe" and seems to be pretty basic. All it is is a scythe. There's nothing special about it. It can't cut through anything or instantly kill. It's just a scythe that I can either wield or control. The most powerful "death/soul" spells in my grimoire is called "Death Pentagram." If that doesn't sound evil, I don't know what does. According to some notes in the grimoire, "Death Pentagram" can be used to either instantly kill anyone within a limited area, or completely destroy any magic within the area. As long as I don't use it to kill, I should be okay, right? The more pleasant spells are my earth magic spells. The one I want to use most right now is this spell called "Earth Gate" that basically moves me really fast underground. If I was allowed to use it, I bet I could reach the capital in under a month, possibly even a week! But, as master said, I can only use my own legs to get to the capital. One of my few spells that isn't used for offense or defense is called "Gaia's sealing embrace" which is used to render someone immobile and unable to use magic. It seems that "Gaia's protecting embrace" and "Gaia's loving embrace" are support and defense variants of "Gaia's sealing embrace" that defend allies and heal allies, but render them immobile and defenseless. I probably won't use those. The spell I'm most excited about, though, is "Gaia's demon." This is an offensive and defensive spell that is awesome. It covers my entire body with a thin, yet indestructible layer of earth. It also drastically increases my speed and strength, but I can barely see when I use it. There's this one spell that does seem to be promising as well. It's called "Goliath of Gaia" and creates a massive golem almost instantly. That thing is massive. Like bigger than the church massive. I call the goliath Cuddles because I can scream "Beware, for he is Cuddles!" It's hilarious. The only one of my "death/soul" spells that is purely support is called "Greaves of the ethereal" which basically gives me the properties of being a ghost. I can't physically interact with anyone or thing, but my movement while in that form is limited only by my mind. Well, I need to go to sleep Journal. I've spent most of the day looking at spells and my eyes are sore. Thanks for keeping me company on this journey. Goodnight Journal.

Entry no 4:

I'm really excited for this entry, Journal! Today I went into the first village I've ever seen! I don't know if it is considered small or not, but I find it beautiful. It's not just because this is the first time I've ever seen actual, real live people, but because they all work together and know each other. This is a feeling of camaraderie is something I never experienced back in Farandal. Sure everyone there worked together to a goal, but it missed the life and love that this village has. Even though I was just some random wanderer, the villagers were nice to me and even gave me directions to a small inn where I could sleep for the night. I was scared at first, but I could feel that they were good, loving people deep down, even if they didn't act like it. As thanks for their help, I offered to help them with their harvest. They politely declined at first, not because they didn't like me, but because I was a visitor to their village. In the end, they let me help after I assured them that it was no problem for a future magic knight. As we worked, I talked with the villagers about a lot of things: How was it like living in a small village, where are the other nearby villages, how long it was to the capital by foot, do magic knights help them often, etc. While we talked, we ended up finishing the work earlier than the villagers said they would. They said it was all thanks to me and my hard work, but I knew I was only a small part of it. After we talked for awhile after, we said our goodbyes and I looked for the inn they told me about. The inn was nice and quaint. The owners were an elderly couple who ran the inn with the help of their grandchildren. They seemed happy to see a new face in town. They told me that, even though they love them with all their hearts, seeing the same people every day was getting kind of boring. Out of curiosity, I asked them what happened the the parents of their grandchildren. They told me that their parents went missing awhile back and were never found. They still don't know what happened, but say they're almost positive there son and daughter are no longer of this world. All they wanted was closure. I ended up asking them what happened when they went missing. According them, their son and his wife had went into the forest to try and take care of some boar that were harassing the village. All they know for sure is that the boar stopped coming around, and their son and his wife disappeared. I wished them well and went to my room, as it was very late. I really hope they figure out what happened, maybe I can help when I become a real magic knight. Thanks as always for listening Journal. Your my best friend on this long journey.

Goodnight Journal.

Entry number 5:

I'm sorry if I'm not my usual self today Journal, but I had an emotionally taxing day.

After saying my goodbyes to the inn workers, I started off again. It was going good for a little while, but I started sensing something strange with the natural mana. If I closed my eyes and focused, I could see a kind of trail of mana leading into the woods. I just couldn't help myself, so I went to go investigate. After searching for an hour or so, I happened upon what looked like a sinkhole of sorts. I say of sorts because it looked almost as if it was dug by hand. Not carved out by magic. This meant a few things: this hole was dug here deliberately, it was dug in a place where people wouldn't notice, it was very dangerous for unknowing people walking in the woods, this was the way the innkeeper's son and wife want when they went to deal with the boar. I told myself that they wouldn't be at the bottom of the pit. I used my earth magic to safely get to the pits bottom. When I reached the bottom, I saw something I would never forget. 2 people, sealed in a crystal, embracing for the last time, frozen in an embrace of love, hugging each other for the last time. I cried at the sight. Tears of fear, tears of sadness, tears for the beautiful sight, tears for the lives lost, tears for the long dead, I didn't know which they were. Perhaps all. I climbed out of the pit and returned to the inn. The innkeepers asked why I returned and then saw the look on my face. They were more worried about me than the news a came with. I asked them if their son or his wife had magic with a crystal attribute. They told me that was the magic of their son. I struggled with myself, trying to decide if I should tell them what happened. In the end, I decided that they needed the closure that had waited for all those years. As I told them, their faces went from worry, to a weeping sadness, to a sorrowful smile. I asked them why they smiled and they replied, " They died together. They weren't alone in the end. And before his final breath, our son had frozen time for their bodies. Preserving their final act of affection for all eternity. May their souls be at peace."

I asked them if they wanted me to bring the bodies to the village, and they said that wherever the bodies were, was the best possible grave, because they were together. They thanked me for giving them closure. As I went on my way once more, I started thinking. Is this the kind of thing I will expect as a magic knight? Will I be able to go through something like that again? Will I still be sane if I do? Will I have to cause more death as a magic knight? These thoughts whirled in my head, unstoppable and unforgettable. I didn't know the answer to those questions and I don't know them now. I may never know the answer, and that would be fine with me. I'm sorry Journal. I've talked for so long. I needed someone to confide to, and you're my best friend during my travels. If I didn't have you, I don't know what I would have done. Probably break down crying. Thank you Journal for always listening and never criticizing. I may be alone, but with you, I'm never lonely. It's late now and I'm very tired. Goodnight Journal. Please never leave me.


	2. Continuing the Journey

Entry 6:

Hey Journal. I think I just realized something. I was an extremely sheltered child. I knew nothing of the outside world. I've been travelling for only about a week, but I have seen more new things than I thought I would've. I've seen only one real village, the only place with more than one living person, really. Farandal really messed up what I thought of cities and villages. I used to believe that all other places were big, bustling hubs of activity, filled with underground crime networks and rouge magic knights fighting against a corrupt authority. I know realize that those dreams were stupid as hell. The only way I could learn about the outside world was from books. I didn't know that a lot of those books were pure fiction, or completely biased. From what I've heard, there are no "rogue magic knights" or a corrupt authority. There is no massive network of underground crime. There are actually only a few cities with as much activity as I believed all places had. I was way too gullible when I was a child. I really wish that I never believed any of those things. I kind of embarrassed myself when I first got to my first village. Well, according to some people back at that village, at the rate I'm going, I should reach the capital in, at most, 2 months. I really need to hurry up. I really want to explore the capital a bit before the magic knight exam. That's all I have to say tonight journal.

See you later Journal.

Entry 7:

Hi, Journal. Sorry that I haven't talked to you in 3 days, not much has really happened lately. Only 2 interesting things happened. The first is that I ran into another person who going to take the magic knight exam. He seems to be using a broom to get there, but not in a big hurry. He asked me why I was walking. I just told him the truth: to prove that I'm worthy of joining the magic knights. He also asked who I'm proving this to. I actually had to think about this for a moment. Who was I trying to prove myself to? Sure, my master told me to walk there, but there's no way of him finding out how I got there and even if I used my magic to get there faster, I would have still gotten there under my own power. After thinking for awhile, I told him, "I guess I'm trying to prove I'm worthy to myself more or less." He said he kind of understood that. He asked how this road got here, too. It wasn't here not even a week ago. I had to tell him that I kinda put it there with my magic. I've been making a path for a few kilometers ahead of myself to make things a little easier. The path always ends a few meters behind me. Turns out his magic is "Metal magic" by the way. It basically allows him to, well, make things out of different types of metal. He has a regular 3 leaf clover. It looks pretty.

_"Hey, why are you talking to yourself?"_

"Oh, my Journal is a magic Journal that writes things down as I say it."

_"Cool. Keep it safe. There are bandits that would want something like that."_

"What the..? Huh. Seems like when Journal is open and I'm not talking to it, Journal just writes down everything that's said around it like dialogue in a play. Cool."

So, the other interesting thing that happened is that I kinda came up with a song while I was walking. I call it my walking song. Shut up, Journal. I know the name isn't creative, but hear the song. It goes like this:

"Though the road is long

And my legs are numb,

With a hop and a skip

And a de de da da dip,

I will walk along!

Though the path is rough,

And nights are dark,

With a big smile ,

I will go on awhile.

I will walk along!

Though I may be alone,

I will never be lonely,

With my my journal,

As my companion only.

Though the road is long

And my legs are numb,

With a hop and a skip

And a de de da da dip,

I will walk along!

To reach my goal

I will never falter,

Though my path may change

Destination won't alter.

To protect all people

Is my dream.

Through the darkness,

A hope shall gleam.

Though the road is long

And my legs are numb,

With a hop and a skip

And a de de da da dip,

I will walk along!"

_"Hey, that's actually kinda catchy. Is it okay if I sing it?"_

"I don't see why not. To be honest, I got the tune from old songs sailors would sing while sailing."

Well, it's late Journal and we need to make camp and sleep.

Goodnight Journal.

Entry number 8:

I was not happy today Journal. This morning, while I was preparing to set off again, I noticed that the other guy (forgot to mention his name was Arlin. What a stupid name) was already gone. I was a little impressed at first because he didn't wake me up and I am a very light sleeper, but I looked around a little and noticed over half of my supplies I had gathered were gone and note that read:

_"Hey Jona, thanks for being a trusting fool! I would also like to thank you for the supplies! I had to wake up pretty early to be far enough so that you couldn't chase me down. I had to be really quiet too. Man, you are one hell of a light sleeper. You damn near woke up a few times when I was 'borrowing' some stuff for later. I left you your Journal since it seems to be your loser ass's only friend. How sad is that?! Now let's see if you can make it to the capital! Maybe if you hadn't told me you were walking the whole way this wouldn't have happened, but you're a trusting dumbass. At least there's one less person to compete with at the exam now. Couldn't let some nobody like you show me up._

_Later dumbass!_

_P.S. Looked at your grimoire. There's no way you'd get into a squad with an evil grimoire like that. Consider this a favor."_

I am going to make Arlin pay for what he did if I ever see him again. He underestimated how serious I was about getting to the capital. I hope he's at the exam when I get there. I am going to make him regret ever meeting me. I travelled over 10 kilometers today. I'm almost halfway there.

Goodnight Journal.

Entry no. 9:

Hey Journal. I know it's only been a day since I talked to you last, but I just feel like talking. I just realized I never told you the history of Farandal like I said I would back in my first entry. Since nothing happened today, I'll tell you now. Even though Farandal is now part of the Clover Kingdom, it was once a city on the edge of the Diamond Kingdom. It was pretty well known throughout both the Diamond and Clover Kingdoms. The reason it was well known was because the citizens all had very high levels of mana, even without any magic gem enhancements. There used to be a lot of people living in Farandal, and a few of them weren't even human. According to some census records I found a while back, a few elves used to live in Farandal. Before then, I had thought that elves were just some characters in fictional stories. Well, as it turns out, after a few decades, there were less and less citizens left in Farandal who were pure human anymore. After about a century, the pure human citizens were nearly none. I don't know how that change happened so fast, none of the records say how it happened. Even though they were citizens of the Diamond Kingdom, the citizens of Farandal didn't agree with the kingdoms increasing militancy. The leaders of the city joined together in a meeting of representatives. There were around 20 representatives in total each representing a different group of Farandal, from merchants to builders, to farmers, to the peacekeepers, to the incarcerated, and even those who were homeless. It was through a unanimous agreement that the city would secede from the Diamond Kingdom and declare itself part of the Clover Kingdom. Unfortunately, there was a spy within the representatives, who was to report any suspicious activity. They had left the city and made there way to the capital of the Diamond Kingdom. It was only a few weeks after they seceded, that the silent massacre happened. Refusing to let such a powerful city to join the Clover Kingdom, the military leaders of the Diamond Kingdom had decided that it was better for the city's citizens to be exterminated, than part of the Clover Kingdom. During the night, several Diamond Kingdom mages entered the city. They used powerful spells to send out different clouds of poison throughout the entire city. The citizens, unaware of their impending demise, slept. It was less than 3 hours before there were no more citizens. Not even the attacking mages survived. The only ones left were the most powerful citizens, who were trying to establish trade routes with neighboring villages. When they returned, all they found was a city of corpses. One of the survivors cast an unusual spell on the entire city, one that could only be used once. It would find any bodies that had a possibility of being reanimated with remnants of their personalities. About 70% percent of the bodies were reanimated. 15 of the attacking mages were reanimated, but changed. They were told by their leaders that they would survive the attack, that they would be free to live their own lives after this. They were lied to. Their leaders sabotaged the mages themselves. Under the guise of granting them more power, a hidden curse with a specific condition was placed upon them. The condition to activate the curse was to use the spells they used to kill Farandal. The curse made them unable to stop the spell or protect themselves from the effects of their spells. They remembered feeling the curses activate after they cast their spells. They said they realized the truth shortly after, regretting ever agreeing to this plan. Farandal was now a city of remnants. Out of the population of nearly 2000, only 4 living citizens were left and out of those for, only 2 were able to make a child. They were the youngest of the cities representatives sent to establish trade. The others were elderly citizens. They decided they would not abandon their home, even if it was a dead city. They had one child. The child's mother was unable to have a second due to an illness she contracted, shortly after giving birth. The parents came to the realization that this child was the only hope of the Farandal legacy lasting. They taught there child of the world and how to survive. Thanks to their efforts, the final bloodline of Farandal lasted for generations. Now, the current holder of this bloodline is me. I must keep the bloodline alive, for the purpose of Farandal was to protect the weak, helpless and innocent. That is why I want to be a magic knight. I want to keep the traditions of my home alive. I want to protect any and all who are in danger. This grimoire I possess is the very same that was used to reanimate the people who died that night all those years ago. It is my duty, as the sole representative of my city, to be a sentinel for the injured, the weak, the young and the old, those who cannot protect themselves. As long as this bloodline lives on, there will be at least one person who protects the weak. That was the history of my home Journal. It's late and I'm quite tired.

Goodnight Journal.

Entry 10:

Hey there Journal. The days have still been uneventful, but I need to talk to someone. I miss home. I miss my master. I miss everyone back home. I want to go back to Farandal and just see them again. It's been only a little less than a month, but time seems to go by slowly when you're all alone, walking to a city in the middle of the kingdom, especially when the journey started at the edge of the border. I just want this journey to be over already. This loneliness is maddening torture. Spending days alone, with only the sound of your footsteps to keep you company. Even for the solitary ones, no person could go nearly a month without contact with others. This journey will most likely take nearly 2 months. Will I be able to last until I reach the next village? Even if I do reach the next village, will there even be anyone who will talk to me? Will this journey end as I want it to? What will I do if I don't get into a magic knight squad? These questions swirl in my mind as I walk. I cannot get rid of them and I'm scared I maybe going prematurely mad. I occasionally hear a voice. It says it lives within my Grimoire, but I don't possess any of the 4 spirits. The voice tells me I will be able to use its power when I am ready. What does the voice mean by that? Am I going mad? What will happen to Farandal if I go mad of die on this journey? Will it finally start to decay and fall apart? What of the remnants? Will they fall? They, too, wish to protect the weak as I do. If I'm gone without an heir, will they still be able to do this? I have to sleep Journal. I don't know why, but I'm exhausted.

Goodnight Journal.


	3. An encounter with bandits

Entry 11:

Hey Journal. It's been about 2 days since my last entry and I got some stuff to talk about. I've been running into other people that got robbed, swindled or just plain screwed over by that bastard Arlin. Some of them were other people travelling to the capital, but most of them were just residents of small villages. Apparently, he's been posing as a magic knight, then extorting citizens for whatever little money they had. He somehow got a hold of magic knight robes of almost all the squads, even the top ones. I don't know how he got those robes. The 2 most likely possibilities that I have thought of are that he got the robes through some kind of black market or that he got them off dead magic knights. I really hope that it's the first one. The second one worries me. If it is the second possibility, I wonder if he killed them hisself or paid some bandits or whatever to kill for him. He's also been going by different names, so his real name probably isn't Arlin. He's just a coward who lies to people to steal from them. My hatred for him just keeps on growing. He's what my master would call "the scum that grows only on the bottoms of rock in the darkest, dankest dungeons" and I would agree with him. I've been assuring the people that I will make sure that bastard pay for what he's done. He will regret not killing me after robbing me. I will make his life a living hell. Oh yeah, my skin's gotten a bit tanner and I've lost some weight since I've started this trip. My hair's also gotten longer, but it's also gotten a little lighter. I liked my dark hair. I can't wait to make Arlin pay. Over halfway to the capital. Making better time than I thought I would thanks partially to good weather. Well, I should get to sleep.

Goodnight Journal.

_"...od job putting him down like that. Your magic never fails us."_

_"Yeah, my Hypnosis Magic really is something, isn't it?"_

_"How long do you think he'll be out?"_

_"Long enough for us to get away."_

_"Why didn't we just kill him, guys?"_

_"We're not bandits or murderers. We're thieves. We steal, not kill."_

_"Why didn't we take his supplies, then?"_

_"He needs them. He seems serious on becoming a magic knight. He looks like he'll be one of the good ones. He'll protect people."_

_"But won't he come after us once he's a knight?"_

_"Maybe he will, maybe he won't, but that's for later, not now. Now hurry up, we need to back to the hideout."_

**Soulbound journal exceeding 50 meters from Jona. Activating soulbind. Long distance thought recording active. Jona not conscious. Nothing to record. Writing message.**

**_" I create this journal so you may have a companion, Jona. Even though we will never truly meet, I'll always be by your side in a different way. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you, but I chose to sacrifice myself to save you. This journal contains most of my soul. This way, it can record your thoughts at long distance. Please, keep it with you, always. At least I'm with you this way._****_Hello and goodbye Jona, love your father."_**

**What was that? Did I just get knocked out by someone's magic? What the..? Hey. Hey! Where's my Journal?! They took it. I need to get it back. I need to get my friend back! I don't know how, but I can feel my Journal. I know where they are. I'll get you back Journal, one way or another.**

_"What the hell's happening?"_

_"That guy we stole that magic journal from is here to get his stuff back! Do we fight him?"_

_"No, let him pass."_

_"What?!"_

_"If he's followed us all the way here, we must have taken something important to him. If it's so important he'd go this far off course, we shouldn't have taken it. We stole a personal treasure, possibly."_

_"But isn't that what we do? We steal things to sell! What kind of bandits are you?!"_

_"WE ARE NOT BANDITS! We don't kill! You're new, so you don't know why we steal."_

_"It's because you want money right?! So you can live in luxury."_

_"No. We steal to help those whose villages have suffered from bandit attacks and border villages that become occupied. Those citizens have nowhere to go and often have little to no money. We steal to make their lives a little easier."_

_"So we're some kind of 'Noble thieves' or something? That's just some dumb delusion."_

_"To you, yes. But to us, it's reality. Ah, he's here."_

"I heard what you said. Is it true that people are being pushed out of their homes by bandits?"

_"Yes. Not just bandits either. For a few years, on the border of the Clover and Diamond Kingdoms, there have been fights, skirmishes and encounters that barely count as battles. Due to these, people have been pushed from their homes by some less than savory magic knights, and mages from the Diamond Kingdom. We steal to help these refugees." _

"But why did you steal from me?"

_"Because I knew that you could still easily go on, even without the things we stole from you. But it seems we stole something precious to you. I'm sorry for that. You may have all your belongings back."_

"All I want is my Journal back. I heard what you told that guy. You want to help refugees and that's actually a noble goal. When I become a magic knight, I'll do my best to help refugees like them. Goodbye. One last question, though. Why didn't you let them attack me?"

_"Isn't it obvious? We are not fighters. We are just thieves who help refugees."_

"You are good people, aren't you. Some villagers had all their money taken from them by some guy that's going to take the magic knight exam. Please help them. I'm going to make sure that bastard can't do this again."

_"We will do our best to help them. Good luck in your mission to lock that man up. Goodbye."_

"Same to you."

Entry 12:

Hey Journal. Last night I had an encounter with a group of thieves. They were actually pretty good people, too. Well, all of them except one. Turns out they were testing him to see if he would abide by their rules. While I was leaving, I ran into that girl who had the hypnosis magic. I asked her if that one guy would make it into their group. She said he probably won't be allowed in their group. Apparently he failed their test. I thought that he would be a problem for them since he knew where their hideout was and how they worked. The hypnosis magic girl assured me that she would be able to make him forget everything about their group. Out of curiosity, I asked if their group had an actual name and she told me that they were called the "Robins." She said that they named themselves after some kind of famous thief who would steal from the nobles to help the poor citizens. I wonder if he's a remnant back home? Eh, I'll look around back home after a become a magic knight. I didn't really get much sleep last night, so this is going to have to be a short entry. I'm going to have to go to sleep early today.

Goodnight Journal.

Entry 13:

Hey Journal. So, uh, yeah. I don't have anything to say except apparently I'm in an area that's in the territory of a dangerous group of bandits called "The vipers." Apparently they call this territory "The viper's nest" because of the high number of attacks. The vipers are actual bandits, as in they will kill people if they get the chance. They won't kill me. Nope, nuh-uh. If they go after me, they won't get me. Nope. Never. That's all. Sorry for the short entry.

Goodnight Journal.

"Huh? What the was that?"

_"Ah damn, you woke up. Now we'll have to kill you the hard way."_

"Wh-who are you people?"

_"Isn't it obvious, moron? Remember where you are."_

"You're the vipers?"

_"Well, duh! This is the Vipers Nest dumbass._"

"So, you're going to try to kill me?"

_"No, we are going to kill you."_

"Well, you can try, but you probably can't."

_"You're cocky. This'll be fun. VENOM MAGIC: VIPERS FANGS!"_

"Earth magic: Gaia's protecting embrace."

_"Acid magic: Corrosive column!"_

"Whoa! That almost got me!"

_"Damn! You're actually pretty good! This is starting to get more annoying than fun!"_

"Leave now and I won't hurt you."

_"Leave? HA! You obviously know nothing of the Vipers! We don't stop until our prey is dead!"_

"Well sorry to disappoint, but I'm not dying yet, especially not here!"

_"You say that, but we hear the fear in your voice!"_

"Damn it. I didn't want to use this spell. It's too dangerous. Gaia's roaring rage!"

_"Gah! What the hell is happening?! An earthquake? How the hell?"_

_"It must be his magic! He possesses earth magic!"_

_"Shit! Get his things while he's distracted and run!"_

_"We're not killing him?"_

_"Just. Fucking! RUN!"_

_"Got his things! Let's go!"_

_"We'll remember this and get him some other time. For now, we need a tactical retreat."_

**Finally, they're gone. But they're gonna be a problem for other travelers. Wait… what the hell? No. No no no no. They took everything. All my supplies and Journal. Damn it! I have to get it all back! I didn't notice until now, but I feel Journal moving away, fast. I can catch up though. I'll get you back Journal. I'll save you from those murderous bastards.**

_"Shit. That's the first time we've ever ran. The boss ain't gonna like this."_

_"I know."_

_"Just tell him the truth and hope for the best."_

_"B-b-boss, we're back, but, uh, there were… complications."_

_"What kind of complications?"_

_"We, uh, had to… perform a tactical retreat."_

_"You mean you ran away. Like cowards."_

_"But boss, if you had seen his magic you'd understand!"_

_"All I understand is that you're cowards. I have no use for cowards."_

_"Boss, please no! We-we'll do better! This won't happen again!"_

_"Of course it won't. Viper magic: gluttonous mass."_

_"Ah.. ah… AHHHHHHH! PLEASE, HELP US! HELP US! AHHHHHH!"_

_"I trust no one else will run from a target from now on?"_

_"Yes boss! Understood boss!"_

_"Boss!"_

_"What?"_

_"We have an intruder. It's the target from earlier."_

_"Kill him."_

_Got it."_

**This is their hideout? It's nothing but a shithole. Make them pay. Make them suffer. They must suffer. Taste their pain. Taste the succulent pain. Hear the song of pained screams. Remember the feeling of dominating the weak. Remember the animals of before. They were weak. They were fun to play with. Until they broke. These new toys are stronger, but still break.**

_"Useless. All of them. I hear their screams. Their pleas for forgiveness. Fallen upon deaf ears are their pleas. Their screams feeding a demon posing as a human. The demon unknowing of his own existence. Possessing a cursed grimoire. He comes to me, finished with weak pawns unfit for promotion. The demon comes for the king."_

**All of them broke. Weak. Fragile. The boss better be strong. I still want to enjoy this. Their pain satisfies me. Pleases me. Beautiful screams of pain, now silent. Warm flowing blood, now still and cold. **

"Heeeh, heh heh hahahahaha."

_" You have wings like an angel, but your wings are black and rotted. You've killed my men and now come for me you demon."_

"They were fun to play with, but broke too early. I hope you are a stronger toy than they were."

_"I will not fall as easy as them. They were nothing compared to me. Now, get ready to die."_

"You will be fun to play with. Now let me hear you're beautiful screams of pain and suffering."

**_"No. Neither of you shall fight."_**

_"What is that voice?_"

"That's the voice from the grimoire."

**_"You will fall if you fight him. And you are not yet worthy of my wings. You must first wield my scythe. Then you must don my robe. Only after these conditions are met, can you possess my wings."_**

"What do you mean? Tell me what yo-uhg."

_"He passed out."_

**_"Yes. I have put him into unconsciousness. I will make sure he does not remember what his personality was like tonight. He is not ready to learn the truth. Now leave or die. That is your choice."_**

_"I will leave. I will not try to kill him again. If he comes after me, I will submit. In that one moment before you stopped him, I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. It was his mana. A shroud of impending death. He is strong, but without guidance, he will kill countless people."_

**_"He has guidance. For now, his master's words guide him, but soon a magic knight captain will guide him. He will not be a cold, ruthless killer. I can feel that in his soul."_**

_"Farewell."_

**_"And to you as well."_**

_"He's done it again hasn't he?"_

**_"Ah, master of Jona. Yes, he has acted upon his innermost desires."_**

_"I prayed this would never happen again, but I guess that I was being foolish."_

**_"No, faith in you has allowed him to deny himself his desires."_**

_"But his desires aren't normal. Normal kids want sweets, good food, and a place to sleep. Jona's innermost desires are to torture anything weaker than hisself. I still remember what he did to those animals he caught. Even as I am now, those memories haunt my mind."_

**_"That is why he must become a magic knight. So he can have friends to assist him with his problems. He CAN help people, he just needs guidance."_**

_"I don't know. Sometimes I just think that maybe the final Farandal bloodline should have ended with me."_

**_"But it did not."_**

_"And now we must accept any consequences of my decision."_


	4. The Capitol and The Exam

Entry number, ah, fourteen, I think:

It's been a week since my last entry. I don't really remember much of what happened after I went after those bandits. I do remember one thing, though. I remember that I did something horrible. I don't exactly know what I did, but my master's been with me since I woke up. I know that he knows what I did, but he won't tell me no matter what. No matter what I say, even if I beg him, he won't tell me what happened. He keeps saying it's for my own good. He doesn't know the I remember a little of what happened. I remember going into the bandits' hideout, some fighting, and my master talking to someone who seems to know me. It was that voice that said that it, not exactly lives, but resides in my grimoire. I don't know what it is, but it's voice is surprisingly serene, yet has a slight chill to it. What I can remember from them talking, I did something long ago that haunts my master, even today. What did I do that scared master so much that he won't even talk about it? I also know that I am, at least, a descendant of master. I guess I should also mention that even though I was out for about a week, master carried me along the route I've been taking. He said he never stopped walking until I woke up. He kept blaming himself for my being, ya' know, unconscious. I tried getting more out of him, but he's always been stubborn when it came to not saying too much. I asked master and apparently it won't take me much longer to get to the Capital. He told me I had made better time than he thought I would, considering the things that have happened to me so far. Oh yeah, he also told me he read through you and that I should read through some of my older entries. I wonder why? Ah, sorry journal. I kind of got off topic. So, it shouldn't take me much longer to reach the capital. A week and a half at most, 2 days if I really hurry. Well, that's if nothing happens. Really hope nothing happens, I really want to take a day or 2 to look around the Capital. Apparently it's about as big as Farandal and it's full of people! Real, living people! People who aren't trying to kill or rob me! Master brought me some money to spend at shops in the capital too! I wonder if there's anywhere to get some more, uh, modern looking clothes. People keep looking at me when I pass them on my way to the Capital. A few of them have actually just came out and told me, "You're clothes look like something people would have worn 100 years ago, get with the times," like I was some kind of weirdo. How am I supposed to know what normal people wear? I've lived my entire life in Farandal! It's nothing but a city full of remnants! None of THEM know what the hell people wore outside of Farandal. I just wore whatever clothes fit me. Were some of the clothes very simple? Yeah. Were some of them extravagant and gaudy? WAAAY more than I'd like to admit. Which ones did I wear for this journey? The most normal looking ones I could find. If people find these clothes weird, so be it. These are the clothes I brought along, and these are the ones I will wear until I get some more in the capital. All those fashion snobs can keep their opinions to themselves. I should probably be a bit quieter. I'm kind of making camp with some travelling merchants. I'm getting A LOT of weird looks. This guy next to me, he said his name was Killroy or something like that, keeps telling me to, and I quote, "shut the hell up and go to sleep so those old guys can get drunk already." I asked him why he isn't drinking with them and it turns out, he's only a year older than me and not allowed to drink yet. So, uh, yeah. I'm going to go to sleep before Killroy and the others beat the crap out of me.

Goodnight Journal. Talk to you in a few days.

Entry 15:

Well, I finally made it to the Capitol. Took 3 whole days to get here while I was with those guys. They were actually really nice, even though they were a bit, uh, crude, I guess. Most of them were older guys, with the exception of Killroy. I kinda asked him what kind of magic he had. Turns out Killroy doesn't actually have an attribute. The thing is, though, almost all of his spells are physical enhancement ones. The one that caught my attention the most was called Speed Demon. Killroy told me it basically increased the speed of whoever or whatever living thing he used it on. Buuuuut, his spells all have a pretty unfortunate side effect. The harder and longer he pushes who or whatever he used his spell on, the worse and longer they would perform with whatever body part was mainly used. The example he used was when he had to use Speed Demon continuously for almost a whole day. He had to run as fast as he could because he had to report alert the Magic Knights of some kind of incident. After deactivating the spell, he said that he couldn't even move his legs for almost 3 whole days. So, yeah, he could do some pretty amazing things with his magic, but would it be worth it once the after effects set in? He said he really didn't mind the after effects, though. Everyone has some kind of weakness. His just happens to be the price he pays once his magic wears off. Ah, sorry. Got a little off topic. Yeah, I finally made it to the Capitol. Killroy and the others said they were staying in the city for awhile to restock their supplies. This place is just… alive. Full of life. It's… beautiful in a way. There's always people awake here. It's as if the city itself is alive. It's… it's… just beautiful. So much life in one place. Never stopping. Never fully asleep. Always moving. Constantly growing, even if the city itself isn't actually alive. I'm staying at a local in until the day of the exam. I think that the innkeeper knows that I'm going to take the magic knight exam. Oh, yeah, I've really got to tell you this. It's really important. I think I've found out Arlin's real name. I saw him walking around with some kind of stupid look, trying to make himself look all superior to everyone else. Piece of shit. Sorry, off topic again. So, I think one of those mindless idiots in his "circle of friends" knew him from before. He called him Zevran. My rage was kind of cooling off, until I saw Zevran. After that, it felt like, I don't know, some kind of fire burst into a raging hellfire deep in my mind. I don't just want to hurt him, I want to destroy his reputation. I want to take it and shatter it into a thousand goddamned pieces. I want to see that arrogance disappear. I want to see a shadow of dread come across that bastards face. I want him to suffer. Soon, he will. I made a plan and Killroy agreed to help. It's only a matter of time.

Goodnight Journal. Talk to you later.

Entry 16:

Hey there Journal. I've just been kinda wandering around city. The Magic Knight exam still isn't for another few days. I got bored so I'm talking to you just to have something to do. Got some new clothes. They aren't really anything special. Just some clothes that a "commoner" might where. Ugh, still hate that word "commoner." The only reason that all these nobles can live in their mansions and eat all that fancy food is because the rest of the citizens work hard just to make a living. But do all these nobles and royals think about that? No. Some of them, probably. But the majority are nothing but a bunch of pompous, arrogant and stuck up idiots who don't know what to to with all their power, so they just flaunt it to show those weaker than them that there's no use standing up against them. I wish this place was like Farandal back in it's glory days. The weaker citizens worked to provide the basic necessities while the strong citizens used their power to protect them, but not here. The farther they are from the Capitol, the more danger the regular citizens are in. And do all those royals and nobles care? No, but at least some of them do. Those who do actually care are the ones worthy of being called noble and royal. Wow, I keep getting off topic. Bet you must get bored listening to just ramble on, huh? It's just that you're still pretty much my only friend. The only reason Killroy agreed to help me is because Zevran is a piece of shit, not because we're friends. It's impossible to make friends with someone that quickly. At least I think it is. I don't really know. Oh yeah, something actually interesting did happen. I stumbled across some kind of hidden market street or something. I bought some kind of necklace. The shopkeeper called it a "Mana storage pendant," whatever the hell that is. Pretty sure I just bought some kind of useless necklace. Wait here, I'm going to see if it can actually store mana. Woah, okay, I was wrong Journal. This thing really DOES store mana. I wonder how much it can store? Time to experiment. Okay Journal, here we go. Putting about a quarter of my mana into this thing.

"WOAH! Damn! Gluttonous little thing aren't you?"

Oh, sorry for the vulgar language Journal. Damn thing took like, three quarters of my mana. Yeah, I'm taking it off now. Woah, I can feel the mana in it, but it's stuck in there unless someone uses it, I guess. Wait, I got another necklace at that place. I wanna try something. Okay, follow me here. This other one has some kind of crystal in it. Not like these ones in my chest, just a regular crystal. Well, not exactly regular. It glows brighter depending on how much mana you have. I tried it on back at the market and almost blinded myself, the shopkeeper and some random passerbys. Turns out, I apparently have what the shopkeeper refers to as "a whole damn lotta mana for some random nobody. Like noble amounts of mana. And not some weak noble, like a strong noble" Still not sure whether to be offended of not. I'm gonna try two things. First I'll put on this thing and see how bright it glows. Yeah, that's what I thought. Not as bright as before at all. Now I'll see if it shows how much mana that other necklace or whatever has. Let's do this.

"Ah shit! My eyes! Shoulda expected something like this."

Okay journal. That was bright and, like, right in my eyes. I'm an idiot. Didn't think this through at all. I need to go to sleep to let my eyes recover a little. Oh, by the way, when I take the magic knight exam, I'm gonna try to leave you open a little to record what happens. Also, from now on, if I start to cry or something while talking to you, I want you to actually record that I'm crying. Do that with those, like, slanty letters you use when recording the voice of others, ok? Thanks. Well, I'm going to sleep to let my eyes recover. Goodnight Journal.

Hey there Journal. This isn't an entry. Today is the day of the Magic Knight exam. I gave Killroy that "Mana storage pendant" and told him to start the plan. I reinforced their merchants wagon with some magic so it can take what's about to happen to it. Talk to you later, and remember. Record what happens. See ya later.

_"Hey, who's that guy?"_

_"I don't know, but do you see his grimoire?"_

_"Yeah. What the hell's wrong with it?"_

_"Don't know, but it creeps me the hell out."_

_"Look at those clothes. I bet he's just some commoner with delusions of being a magic knight."_

**Heh. You think I can't hear you. Dumbasses. I can hear everything that all of you say. I'll show all of you some real power. Heh heh.**

"Hello there Arlin. Or should I call you ZEVRAN?"

_"What the hell? You actually made it here. HAHAHAHAHAHA! You think you can actually become a magic knight?! That's ridiculous! You do know that most of us here are at least nobles, right? There's know way you can possibly beat any of us at anything. And since you seem to know my real name now, let me introduce myself for real. My name is Zevran Auruma Argentio. Of the noble house Argentio. I am the most powerful member of my family since my great-great-great grandfather. My family has always been content with serving those higher up than us, but not me._

_"I deserve anything and everything I could ever want. Why? Because I'm powerful. More powerful than most of the pathetic peons here. And those stronger than me will be nothing but another problem in my way. And you. You Jona, are nothing but an annoyance that I just can't get rid of, but here I'll break that spirit of yours and send you back to whatever waste-of-space village you come from."_

"Heh. You just keep telling yourself that and maybe it really will happen to you. In your own dreams, probably."

_"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT AN INSECT FOR ME THE CRUSH UNDERFOOT!"_

"Hm? Oh, it seems as if the exam is starting. Let's go, oh great and powerful Zevran Auruma Argentio."

**Man, I must really be getting to that bastard. His face is getting really red. Ah man, this is gonna feel great.**

_"Let us begin the Exam."_

**This guy is surprisingly casual. He should really try to sound more official like, "We will now commence with the 23rd magic knight exam" or something like that. How many exams have there been anyway? Proooooobably more than 23.**

_"The hell's with that guy? It's like he's trying to show off, but look casual while doing it. Jerk."_

"Hey Zevran, what're you doing down there? Why're looking so serious? Thought you said you were going to, what was it, oh yeah, crush me underfoot?"

_"Grrrrrah!"_

"Ooooo. Growling at me? How scary!"

**Wow, I'm really pissing him off! This is hilarious. I might be having too much fun, but I just can't help it. This is awesome.**

_"Now, on to the next stage of the exam."_

**Really? Already? All we did was float around on some brooms. And some of these people had trouble with that! This is way easier than I thought.**

_"The hell's with that bastard?! Again, he's showing off while not even trying to look like it!"_

"Man, these targets are easy to hit. If it's this easy for me, I bet Zevran over there is just breezing through. What? He's only hit two? I've hit almost a dozen. He really needs to get serious."

**Heh-heh-holy crap! His face is getting even more red than earlier! I didn't think that was possible!**

_"Now for the final stage of the exam. Please pick an opponent."_

**What? We're already this close to the end? It hasn't even been… woah. It's almost 6 hours since the exam started. I guess time DOES fly when you're having fun, and man am I having fun.**

"Hey Zevran old buddy old pal, how about we fight each other in this final stage?"

_"No. Go die and burn in hell you bastard."_

"Oh come on. Don't you want to prove that you're stronger than me? Or ARE YOU SCARED?"

_"Keep you're damn voice down bastard! You just want to drag me down with you because I took your stuff."_

"Maybe back then, but I've gotten past that now. Now I just want to have a friendly match against the person who tested my resolve to get here."

_"Bull. Shit."_

"Well, I wanted to make it seem like you agreed to a match, but I guess it's come to this."

**He could've challenged me himself, or accepted my challenge, but no. Now I'll have to call him out and give him a choice. Either face me like a proud noble and put me in my place, or refuse a challenge from a commoner. And I'm betting I know what choice he'll make.**

"Ahem, I HEREBY CHALLENGE ZEVRAN AURUMA ARGENTIO OF HOUSE ARGENTIO TO A FAIR MATCH IN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE MAGIC KNIGHT EXAM!"

_"Did you hear that?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"He challenged a noble."_

_"And in front of everyone."_

_"What do you think Zevran'll do?"_

_"I HEREBY ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE JONA NECROS!"_

**Knew it. His stupid pride wouldn't let him turn down a challenge, especially one from such a weak and foolhardy opponent. Time to put him where he belongs.**

_"You bastard. You just had to piss me off. If you hadn't pissed me off, I would've gone easy on you and ended this quickly, but now I want you to suffer like no one has."_

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get this over with."

_"Now beginning the match between Zevran Auruma Argentio of house Argentio versus Jona Necros."_

**Let's do this.**

_"Let's see how you can stand this! Metal magic: Iron spear of rage!"_

**Holy shit. He's not trying to win! This piece of shit is actually trying to kill me! If I hadn't reacted, that spear would have went through my damned skull!**

_"Come on! Fight back you pathetic insect!"_

"Okay! Magic scythe! Triple scythe!"

**Let's see how he reacts to this. 3 floating, spinning scythes flying towards him.**

"Hah! Is this all you got?"

**He's not showing it, but I know that caught him off guard a little. Mainly because he doesn't know what kind of magic I have. I'll save that little surprise for later.**

_"Try this! Metal magic: Lumbering Lead Giant!"_

**Well, this thing is slower than all hell.**

"Really? Gaia's sealing embrace."

**Well, that things down.**

_"Raaagh! Metal magic: Silver Slashing Shower! Rain death on this bastard!"_

**Huh?**

"What the- gah! The hell?! It's raining daggers!"

**The hell's wrong with him?! He could injure the others with this spell!**

_"And now, Metal Magic: Titanium Boulder! Ten tons!"_

"SHIT! Gaia's protecting embrace! NOW!

**The fucking hell's wrong with him?! I almost died! He doesn't give two shits about anything except killing me! And, as much as I hate to admit it, he actually has a lot a bite to match his bark! Have to end this quickly! Damnit Killroy, where the hell are you?! Hurry up, for the love of shit!**

_"And now that you have nowhere to go, I'll end this already. METAL MAGIC: STEEL SPIKES! SKEWER HIM FROM ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN!"_

**Damnit! I can't move while Gaia's protecting embrace is active! I have to-**

"Guh! The hell…"

_"Hahahaha! Right through the gut! Now, once again, Metal Magic: Titanium Boulder! Ten tons!"_

_"What the hell? I know he was showing off, but this... this is going to far!"_

_"Yeah! Hey! Examiner guy! Stop this!_"

_"No."_

_"Why the hell not?!"_

_"As a magic knight, you must be prepared to kill and be killed if necessary. This is still a part of the exam. I will not stop the fight until one of them is unable to fight any longer."_

_"That's bullshit!! He's gonna kill him."_

_"If he does, he will be disqualified and tried at a later date for his crime."_

**Damn. Can't last much longer. He's lost his mind. Can't come to terms that he might lose, especially against me.**

**_Jona_**.

**The hell**?

**_You can win._**

**The hell's with this voice in my head?**

**_You can use power from the other side of the veil for a short time instead of mana. Use it._**

**Ah, it's that voice. That one that said it lived in my grimoire. Now it's telling me I can do the impossible.**

**_To others, yes. But you have a grimoire that can allow you to do this._**

**Ah, the hell with it. What can I lose now anyway? I'm already impaled through the gut and being slowly crushed to death. Might as well try.**

**_Good. Feel the power of the next world fill you. Use it as you would mana._**

**What the? I feel some kind of power. It's replacing the lost mana I've used up. It also seems to want Zevran to suffer, but that might be just my own thoughts. My body's still impaled, but I can win this thing.**

_"You dead yet? Huh? Are you?"_

"Dead? No, not yet, but close. I have to thank you."

_"Even on the verge of death you don't shut up."_

"Now that I'm close to death, I can do this. First, Earth Magic: Gaian Goliath. Half size."

_"What? Wait. What is that? It's massive! What did you do?"_

"Goliath, lift these damn boulders off me."

_"How is it lifting twenty tons as if it's nothing? And why do you sound so calm?! Where is your fear?! Or are you some kind of madman?!"_

"Honestly, I don't know the answer to any of those. Now, Earth Magic: Gaia's demon. Let's go for full coverage, too.

_"You think you still have a chance? Hah! You can't win, not in that state!"_

_"How is he moving in that state? He was impaled three times, all through the abdomen. He's bleeding out."_

_"Doesn't matter what you do. You'll fall here! I won't let you stand! A weakling like you should know when to give up! Metal Magic: Silver Slashing Shower!"_

"And, finally, to prevent you from casting any more spells. Death magic-"

_"What did he say?"_

_"Did he say death magic?"_

_"But, he has earth element __magic."_

_"Is he going to kill Zevran?"_

"-Death Pentagram. Destroy their magic."

_"What the hell's going on?"_

_"What are the markings on the ground?"_

_"Look at Zevrans Silver Slashing Shower and his Boulders!"_

_"What the hell did you do?! Why?! Why is my metal just corroding to dust?! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!"_

"Heh, so that's how it works. You're lucky I didn't want you dead or you'd be dead now. Death Pentagram can do that too. And now to end this."

**He can't defend himself anymore. All I have to do is charge forward and punch him as hard as I can, and with Gaia's demon, that's much harder than normal. Going for the center of his face. Breaking his nose.**

_"No! Stay away! I'm powerful! I'm unbeatable! You're just a weakling! JUST A WEAK NOBO- grk!"_

"Shut up already you piece of sh-"

_"And the winner is Jona Necros. Will the healers please come to the aid of the examinees?"_

_"What was that?"_

_"That wasn't a normal person. That was some kind of demon that thinks it's human."_

**Ah, how I wish they were right. I'm not a demon, just a person who hides all their problems deep down. I wish I was a demon sometimes, then I wouldn't have these horrible feeling I just did something terrible.**

"Huh? Where- where am I?

_"You're in still at the exam site, just in a room for the injured. The only ones here are you and Zevran."_

"Have they finished the exam yet?"

_"No, that match is almost over though."_

"Then I've gotta get out there. They're going to announce who got into what squad here in a little bit, right?"

_"Well, yes, but you are still quite injured. Not only did you suffer from heavy blood loss, but also minor organ damage and several broken and fractured bones."_

"But am I well enough to go out for the selection?"

_"Technically, Yes, but I wouldn't recommend that."_

"Don't care. I'm going out there."

_"And now, we will let the Magic Knight Captains select those of you who passed. If none of the captains choose you, you are not a magic knight, try again next year. If more than one captain chooses you, you are to choose the squad you prefer."_

"Is it okay if I go now? I'm kinda injured here."

_"You may go now, considering the circumstances. First examinee, Jona Necros. Which captains want Jona Necros in their squad?"_

**Damn. No hands. None. Nothing. None at- wait. One hand. Ah hell. Any squad but that one. I've only heard bad things about them. Well, looks like that's my only choice.**

_"Only one hand for Jona Necros. Examinee Jona Necros, you are now part of the Magic Knight squad, the Black Bulls, lead by Captain Yami Sukehiro."_

**Damnit.**

_"Now for the next examinee. Please step forward miss-"_

_"Pardon me, but I'd like to go next!"_

_"Ah, examinee Zevran Argentio. Yes, I beleive it's fair to let you go next since you are also injured."_

**Hope Killroy gets here in the next few seconds.**

_"Now, which capt-"_

_"Hold on one damn moment!"_

**Thank all that's holy you got here just in the nick of time, Killroy.**

_"What is the meaning of this?!"_

_"I, Killroy Bātā, accuse, uh, that guy-"_

_"His names Zevran Auruma Argentio, of noble house Argentio, Killroy."_

_"Thanks Jona. I accuse Zevra Argentio of multiple crimes, including; impersonating a magic knight, extortion, sexual assault, assault, treason, robbery, and multiple accounts of murder."_

_"Do you have any proof of these accusations?"_

_"Actually, yes, I do. And multiple witnesses and accomplices."_

"How the hell do you have that much evidence?"

_"My father and his friends used to be part of an underground, organized crime ring and they kept a lot of contacts. Some of which have assisted Mr.Argentio here."_

_"Hm, well, we will place Mr.Argentio here into custody and question him at a later date. In the meantime, the witnesses and accomplices will be given room and board at local inns. And, may I ask, what made the accomplices decide to put their own freedom on the lines?"_

_"They no longer want to have that kind of life, sir. They seem to deeply regret what they've done. They have already accepted their fate of either life imprisonment or death."_

_"They could have made fine magic knights if they had the chance, couldn't they?"_

_"Yes sir, most likely."_

_"Now then, let's get back to the selection process."_

**I just became a magic knight and I've already helped stop one criminal. Not directly, though. That would have been to much trouble in my current state. Well, time to go and wait for the captain to tell me where to go**.


End file.
